Hop From Your Home

In case you don’t keep current on Facebook or Twitter, this is just a note to let you know that Ryan and I will not be in the studio for today’s Gallery Hop. Instead, we’ve rescheduled the celebration of our one year studio anniversary to Saturday, February 27th from 4-8pm. And while I’ve survived driving through a Level 3 snow emergency/blizzard at 2am in a car with no heat (something I do not miss about the news industry!), today I’d really rather keep myself and all of you off the roads so road crews can do their work and everyone stays safe.

However, we’ve already sold a couple of our frames and people have been jumping the gun in sending inquiries to be a part of our $100 studio session fees before April. We know you’ve been waiting for this so we are still offering specials on the blog today between 4-8pm. [For those wanting to get booked with your $100 session fees before next month, we'll have a link for that up today & *hopefully* the 27th (today may be your best time, because there are only a limited number of sessions we can fit into a month, therefore there is a limit to the number of $100 sessions we can accept).] We’ll also be accepting names to be added to our drawing for a complimentary portrait session & 8×10 portrait, but won’t actually complete the drawing until entries are also collected on the 27th.

So, in short, stay safe and warm inside, and be sure to check in between 4-8pm. If I can get all of the last few details wrapped up, there will also be another special announcement made right here. Check back again soon!

Oh So Pretty!

Together Time

Loved getting to work with an old high school friend and his beautiful family!

Musings

I’m sure I say this each year; for it being our slow season, we are surely keeping busy. Ryan and I are preparing to open our doors for everyone again this year to celebrate our one year anniversary at the studio. We’ve added more furniture, new artwork and have even built an entire wall for those of you who haven’t been in to take a peek since our Grand Opening event (I just completed the final touches last night on the wall!). Not only that, but in the past week I put on my very first mini-workshop for other photographers, presented at a MOPS group meeting and was interviewed for an upcoming Ohio & Company segment that starts airing on tv next week (more details to follow when I get air dates/times).

As you can imagine, so many questions have been thrown our way in the past few days. Some are very basic and easy to answer, but other questions dig a little deeper and really get my own gears a-turnin’. And something I’ve realized, just by being put in a position where I’ve had to speak about my own thoughts and experiences, is that everything that’s happened in my life has had a specific purpose, even if at the time, life felt like a struggle. Almost every accomplishment has been the result of a failure.

(and here’s the place where I erased everything I wrote {several times!}, because this post was about to become a mini-novel!)

Anyway, I’m sure over time I’ll ration out little personal stories of how this has happened. And for those of you reading who are photographers yourselves, Ryan and I are researching options for a separate site where we can share all of our failures accomplishments. We get several inquiries asking how we did this and where we got that. We answer what we can, but I think the most helpful responses would be about how we messed everything up in the first place! So, keep your eyes peeled and wish us luck. I’m not sure how many tries it will take, but I do know it’s all gonna work out in the end!

Senior Guy {Wellington}

Gallery/Home Hop Next Saturday!

We’re changing things around for next month’s Gallery Hop. Join us in person or online between 4-8pm Saturday, February 6th. We’ll be celebrating our one year anniversary since officially opening the studio doors. We’d love your support by visiting the studio, viewing some of my latest fine art pieces (including an exquisite gallery wrap image of orchids taken at the Franklin Park Conservatory) and also taking in the changes we’ve made in our studio in the past year (this week we’re building an entire new wall in the space…wish us luck!). Of course, for the twist, we also know it can be hard to leave the comfort of home, especially during an Ohio winter. So if you can’t visit us in person, please visit us on the blog to Hop from home!

We’ll be posting digital images of our art pieces on the blog (of course a small digital image does not do justice to the texture of these canvas & framed velvet art prints). We will also be checking into our e-mail between 4-8pm where you can register to enter into a drawing for a complimentary session and 8×10 desktop portrait and schedule a February or March session for only $100 (both of which can be done in-studio as well).

What you won’t be able to do online is take a look through the frames we’ll be offering at amazing discounts. Our one tiny closet has been getting more and more full this past year and I’d love to free up some space. This will include hand-painted Wild Sorbet frames as well as the ever-so-beautiful O’Brien & Schridde frames. I’ll share a sneak peek of a few below, but you’ll have to come by next Saturday to see the rest.

So we do hope you’ll come out (there will be plenty of coffee & hot chocolate on hand to keep you warm), but if we don’t get a chance to see your smiling face, please visit the blog and drop us a line!

Baby Avery

(Hello! We’re trying out a new format of posting larger images with less text. Let us know what you think in the comment section below. Do you visit the blog to hear a story or to see new images?)

A Day with Nana

I’ve been looking forward to today’s session since 2009! Over the past year I’ve noticed a trend of more & more people wanting to update portraits of their parents. In most cases, the parents/grandparents haven’t been professionally photographed in over a decade (occasionally not even since their wedding day!). Being able to capture such healthy spirits and hear their stories is such a fulfilling experience.

Today’s session brought that to yet another level when I was asked to document the relationship between little A. and his grandmother. Even though she cares for him through the week I was expecting a soft and somber environment. On the contrary, “Nana” pulled out the Play-doh & cars, laid on the floor to play with A. & their golden retriever friend, bested the little guy in a tickling match and both members of this duo were filled with so much laughter and joy! I’m delighted that A’s mom/Nana’s daughter will have these moments frozen in time and even more delighted that I was able to be a part of that. Enjoy the preview!

She Gets It

What an inspiring woman! Not only is this mother of five an amazingly gorgeous woman on the surface, but she just glows from within. Today I photographed Drenda from Faith Life Now for the cover of her upcoming book, She Gets It. Every time she shared something new (homeschooling her children, family working with/around her into adulthood, running extremely successful businesses with her husband, part of a weekly television program, international conferences, and I think you’re getting the point…) I was just more and more impressed. I’ll certainly post even more details as soon as She Gets It hits print. In the meantime, enjoy a few of my favorite photos plus behind-the-scenes fun from today’s shoot.

Broken Heart

In memory of Kaleb.

Jenkins in Repose

Our studio is looking lovely after photographing some Valentine’s Day mini-sessions earlier today. Jenkins has been enjoying this temporary set-up as well (hence the photo above!). We’ve also opened up tomorrow to be available for more sessions before taking down our three love-inspired sets. So if you missed out today, it’s still not too late to get in touch and reserve a spot! This will be our best mini-session special of the year! $50 includes your abbreviated session and gives you 50 wallet-sized Valentines that can be shared at school or with friends & family. Ryan’s created a couple special collections to share some love as well!

Love, love, love

Ooh baby, do I love babies! Mr. C. was the perfect gentleman for his newborn portrait session. Trust me when I say that I’ve been peed, spewed or pooed-on more times than I can count when it comes to itty ones. Today I am spotless! Also, C. just nestled right in to sleep with some magical touches from his mother. It’s always amazing to me how, after only a couple of weeks of life, a mother has that instinct to know if baby needs rocked, cooed or a binky, etc. C’s mom was no exception. I swear C. would just barely squeak out the beginning of a fuss and as soon as his mama pulled out a trick, he would settle right back down. This is definitely one well-loved baby!

And speaking of love, a quick order of business. We received some “Oh, darn!”’s when posting the dates for tomorrow’s Valentine mini-sessions. Ryan and I decided to extend this special to Saturday as well. So if you read the details a few posts down and haven’t booked one of our spots for tomorrow, you have a second chance to get in touch and share the love this Saturday!

ONN’s Ohio Woman

Hey All, we’re back from Nashville! (I’m thinking a little twang has rubbed off on me) I just wanted to get this post up tonight before officially starting back to work tomorrow. The much anticipated Ohio Woman feature on ONN aired today! It should be on ONN’s website for a few more hours (here’s a direct link), and after that I know you’ll be able to catch the story again over the weekend.

Also, in case you missed the original post, here’s a video from my perspective during this featured shoot. Enjoy the show and, if you’re reading, thanks Denise for doing such a fabulous job. Those editors & photogs deserve big hugs as well!

Casting Calls

D. rocked it today, modeling outside during a Level One snow emergency! I re-discovered an awesome location near the studio and have been itching to try it out. While I probably should have waited for a day that I could actually feel my fingers & that my speedlights could refresh more than once a minute, D. (who was gloveless) hung in there, played it cool & looked absolutely comfy in front of the camera.

For anyone else out there with a secret dream of being a model, you’re going to notice model casting calls along the right side of this blog over the next 2-3 months. To actively pursue my New Year’s resolutions of living more artfully & growing in the craft, I’ll be booking sessions designed around a certain vision I’ve got floating around in this crazy mind of mine. If you see an opening that catches your eye, just send a pic Ry’s way (snapshots are totally fine). I’ll ask that you sign a model release so I can include your pics in my portfolio and in exchange, you won’t pay any session fee & can select an image from the shoot as either an 8×10 portrait or high resolution digital file for you to do with as you like. In addition, any other prints you’d like can be ordered at our special modeling rates.

So keep your eyes peeled. Some days I may have a solid idea that can be pulled off at any time, and other days the sun or weather may be *just so* where I’ll need someone in just a couple of hours. I’ll also post casting calls on Twitter & Facebook, so if you’re not already following me there, come join in the party!

(Birthday) Parties!

Since today is the very last birthday I’ll be able to celebrate as a twenty-something, I thought it would be, oh, so fitting to invite you to a birthday; your birthday party! Ryan and I have come up with a fantastic party-package for anyone wanting to rent our studio space between now and April (& possibly later, but our schedules get a lot sticker later in the year). If you want to throw yourself (or your child) a birthday party, host a bridal or baby shower, or even just celebrate a girls night out, we can offer you the space and the photography!

If you’d like more information about how to schedule an event in our space, just send Ryan an e-mail. Also, feel free to come check out our space on Saturday, February 6th. We’ll be open for a bit during the Short North Gallery Hop showcasing my latest fine art work and celebrating one year since our official studio opening. I’ll be posting again closer to the time with hours and more details, so keep checking back!

While the images I post are usually super-brand new, this image is getting close to three years old. You can find around the country on a Cardthartic greeting card…I just thought it was a perfect match for this post!

Original Eve Jewelry

OMGosh! If you’re a long time follower of this blog, you know that I just love Eve and everything she does! I swear her family is the most creative bunch I’ve met (and so beautiful, too!). I started photographing the family 4 or 5 years ago, have taken photos for her husband’s business, Sparkspace (one of the coolest places on the planet), took headshots for her “Ohio & Company” show on ONN, and then yesterday had the chance to photograph her AH-mazing handmade jewelry for the 2nd time. Normally you can track down her work at local art shows or an in-home jewelry party, but she’s now building a website where you’ll be able to find Original Eve jewelry from across the globe!

I’ve got several pieces of pretty for myself and Eve’s jewelry makes for a fabulous gift. So not only am I sharing a few pics from yesterday’s shoot for you, but I’m also saying, this is something you just may want to whisper in your man’s ear as Valentine’s Day approaches. Enjoy!

Happy 2010!

Hello! Today is our first official day back to work since the New Year. I hope your holidays were filled with lots of fun, love and family-time. It’s been a whirlwind around here, and still yet there’s more celebration this week followed by a trip to Imaging USA in Nashville! So with that said, I’m going to try and squeeze in as much information as I possibly can before taking off again, but will still spread that info out through the week so you have a reason to keep coming back for more!

For now, I’ve just got to tell you about our Valentine’s Day promotional sessions that we’re holding next Friday, January 15th. I made lots of business resolutions for the New Year (which you can read more about through the rest of this week). One of those resolutions is to be able to regularly make our work available to fit nearly any budget. Ryan and I tried out our Studio9 concept towards the end of last year. While we received great feedback about the special pricing on these as a way for favorite clients to come back for multiple sessions throughout the year and for new clients to test us out without having to commit to a larger investment, we still felt that it was too limited (1 subject, specific ages, 1 background, etc.). So instead of doing the same thing again & again, we’ll be offering you some sort of a different promotional session every other month.

As you may have guessed from the photo posted above, January’s promotion will be themed for Valentine’s Day! Just like last year, these sessions will come with a set of 50 business-card-sized Valentines that you or your little ones can pass out for that special day. We’ll have a few pre-made designs that you can choose from and they’re included with your $50 session fee. Expect your session to last between 15-20 minutes and come dressed with reds/whites/pinks/etc. to celebrate the holiday. You’ll see about 8-14 images edited from this promotional session and we’ll offer specially priced mini-collections along with our regularly priced prints. (And since we’re always asked, if you would like multiple children photographed separately, just book two sessions back-to-back…if you only want the kids photographed together without breakdowns, one session should suffice). Also, for clarification, while we certainly specialize in individual portrait studies of children, we know there are a lot of lovebirds out there. This promotion is open to all ages!

So, hurry up and send Ryan an e-mail to get all set up. We’re already booking spots before this post has even been published! I hope to get to work with you soon…sending out the love vibes!

Christmas Contest Pt II

It’s official! Ryan won the Christmas cookie decorating contest for 2009. “Rabies” won with 52% of the votes (see his winning design a few posts down). Now you can check out my Facebook profile to see what mischief Ry’s been up to. In case you don’t recall, his prize was to be able to update my FB status to his liking (plus he asked for fame & glory). Anyway, congrats to Ryan! We’ll be officially be back to business tomorrow with all sorts of 2010 goodness!

Holiday Wrap Up

Tomorrow we go back to work after having Christmas and the rest of the holiday weekend off. Even though almost all of our family lives within just a couple of hours, this is usually the only time of the year that everyone is able to meet up as a whole. First, we spent Christmas Eve day with a rare visit with my niece and BIL/SIL from Virginia, taking a few portraits at the studio before having a holiday lunch at Buca di Beppo as part of a Parrish tradition. This little girl is one of the most charming and beautiful gals I know; and I’m not just saying that because I’m her aunt! (which, be sure you pronounce this “Ont” Amy, just like little G. calls me!)

Christmas day was spent with Ryan’s mom and her two pups (pictured on the “Contact” page of our website“) who were actually able to get Jenkins tuckered out by the end of our visit (though Jenkins caused plenty of *naughty* to start to stack up for Santa’s visit next year)! We visited with even more family and ended the evening late into the night with another Parrish tradition, grazing and poker!

The next morning, we headed down to my parents’ place for both small and extended holiday get-togethers. Last Christmas was the first time we’d had any babies in the family in over 20 years, and by this Christmas there were three! Two were my nieces, who are growing far too fast but sharing lots of love, and the other, my extended cousin who is already starting to talk (calling my dad “Silly Uncle Truck”). The energy level and joy was just so much higher having little ones to play with and chase after. And, as part of another family tradition, our extended family even played a game of “Christmas Bingo”. We were organized this year, making sure that everyone would win at least one nice gift and let everything else run into chance (though nothing too horrible was added in the gift pot this year like some of the doozies in years past…can you say hair net!?!). ETA: just found out that there were some nose hair clippers in the mix this year that my little brother won…yay for a 2009 doozy and yay that I wasn’t the one who got it!

All in all, it was a fabulous few days and we were so very blessed to be able to spend this time together as a family. I hope your holidays were filled with just as much joy and that you find even more to be thankful for in 2010!

Christmas Eve Special

Happy Holidays! Elves are still working furiously over here before Christmas arrives. If you have been scratching your head over what to get a friend or loved one for their very last gift, I’ve got great news for you! Just forget about battling the cold and traffic and get a great deal at the same time! Today before 4pm, only, you can purchase a $200 Amy Parrish Photography gift certificate for only $100! Just click here (link removed after special) to process your payment and we’ll e-mail you a file by 5pm today that you can print off from your own printer at home and package as you wish (just fold and add to an envelope if you’re a wrapping-impaired spouse, or add in a pretty box with tissue paper, chocolates & ribbon if you’re Martha Stewart incarnate). Limit four per family.

Merry Christmas!!!